Xavier Arline, Shoreham-Wading River hope to stay on a roll

The Shoreham-Wading River football team tasted defeat in the second week of the season but has since been unstoppable.

“The kids were able to weather the storm of that loss,” coach Aden Smith said. “They continued to believe and build momentum.”

That loss came against Mount Sinai, and in last week’s rematch in the Suffolk IV final, the Wildcats continued their roll.

A satisfying 28-21 victory gave Shoreham-Wading River its fourth county title in five years, and a date with Cold Spring Harbor awaits in the Long Island Class IV championship game at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium.

Junior Xavier Arline has been one of the top playmakers in Suffolk, rushing for 31 touchdowns and passing for another nine. Defenses can’t seem to bring him down, as evidenced by his 13.2 yards per carry.

Smith said Arline has done an admirable job remaining patient. Just because one carry goes for no gain doesn’t mean the next one won’t go for big yardage.

“As long as you can weather the storm, go through the famine part of the game, there will always be some aspect of feast,” Smith said. “As long as we hang in there, good things will happen.”

The Mount Sinai game provided plenty of famine for both teams, Smith said, until the Wildcats broke through in the second half.

Sophomore Johnny Schwarz, one of the young players Smith said has played exceptionally well, had two second-half interceptions and a fourth-quarter fumble recovery to seal the win.

“We have a team full of young players, and up until this point, they’ve risen to and exceeded the challenge,” Smith said. “I think they’re going to do what they’ve been trained to do all year [against Cold Spring Harbor].”

Because of how his young stars have played this season, Smith said he doesn’t expect any jitters in the LIC. “By treating the games all the same, it might minimize the anxiety of it being such a big game,” said Smith, who is all about attitude and staying in a routine.

The Seahawks are a power football team, headlined by Danny Striano and Jacob Bruno on the ground. Smith said their offense is unlike any they’ve seen this season, so his Wildcats will have to rely on film studies and “the same amount of preparation, attention to detail, focus, effort and energy.”

Defensive tackle Liam Mahoney was a key member of a suffocating front that shut out Mount Sinai in the second half. For all the attention paid to the offensive exploits of Arline, the defense can take over games, too.

“They play for each other,” Smith said. “They play for values and beliefs that are bigger than individual goals. They try to play tough.”

They’re ready to weather the storm and keep the momentum going. They’re ready to feast.

Said Smith: “At this point in the season, nobody wants to taste [defeat].”